Stardust
by AmaraSidhe
Summary: When quiet, aspiring actress Brianna's girl-next-door image wins her an admirer, it's more than both of them ever thought. R for language/mature themes. R&R? I have sparklies! Finished 4/11.
1. Watching...

(Oh gods, I'm writing another story. Run. Fast. And please don't sue me – I'm cleaning out my bedroom when I get home tonight, so I'll have even less stuff than I did. So…don't sue, or you'll get my trash, and I'm SURE you don't want worn out Elmo slippers and torn flannels. Brianna's mine. No one else. Ah. Yeah. And the lyrics? That's _Whatever (I Had A Dream) _by the Butthole Sufers. It's on the William Shakespeare's R&J Soundtrack -- good CD.) 

Stardust   
By AmaraSidhe 

i. 

"Brianna…BriBri…" 

Brianna Llams couldn't get the voices out of her head – couldn't get the clawing, the images of fire, blood, voices…she didn't understand it, and all she wanted was for it to stop.   
She saw her parents dying, saw something in the darkness reaching out for her, tugging at her golden amber curls, wanted…   
She didn't understand the dreams, and it scared her half to death. 

"Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…" 

"Shut up." _I'm like Buffy_, she thought, tugging at the slinky strap to her navy tank top, eyeing herself in the mirror – wayward spiral hair, navy coloured pajama top and red and white polka dot pajama pants, bare feet showing off a perfect silver pedicure…   
_Okay, so not Buffy. X…no, not Xena either._   
_Just…Brianna._

It didn't add up to her, though. The sunglasses she'd found on her nightstand, the disappearance of her stuffed bear, and the tiny sapphire necklace she'd found around her neck, the strange, delicate sense of being tucked in at odd hours of the night, when she knew no one else was there…   
She lived in the apartment alone. 

"Brianna…" 

"It's just too many horror movies, that's what it is." Mumbling to herself, Brianna tugged a pair of worn-out Doc Marten sandals from under her bed, half kicking them on and heading toward the kitchen, convinced that maybe a little ice cream was all she needed, or maybe some chocolate milk…   
"It's too many horror movies and the fact that I just moved into this monstrosity of a building, and I'm just paranoid. That's it. Just a paranoid little girl. It's the city. I just…" 

Maybe she shouldn't have moved from Havas. The little town in Arizona had been her home for years, and it was where she'd learned about a lot of things. The land, the stars, the spirits…   
The girl sparkled of majick, but to most, she was 'just a little weird.' 

-*- 

"Sweet Brianna…"   
His eyes fixed on the girl, her sweet smile, the lion's mane of wild blonde-red hair, those too-wide blue eyes of hers. She was truly something else, he'd decided, ever since he'd seen her from afar –   
Ever since he'd begun this obsession with the petite girl who was trying so hard to fit into the scene of the city. L.A. was somewhere he was sure Brianna didn't belong. 

_I had a dream last night_   
_'Cause it looked just like a dream_   
_I had a dream last night_   
_But it looked unlike a dream___

_Mercy, mercy, I'm made of heart_   
_Make me a suit so I can get it off_   
_Heaven, help me, my head's spinnin' 'round_   
_Stop this airplane 'cause I got to get down_

She was so pretty, and he didn't understand why she was alone – any other time, she'd sparkle like the rare jewels he'd once seen, that smile that had drawn him to her, made him want to keep her for his own personal game of cat and mouse, toy with her…   
Then leave her pleading. 

He knew it'd hurt him to smash such a pretty creature, but he'd done it before, and he was sure he could do it again – he'd just have to watch her for a while. Learn her life. Get her to trust him.   
Get her to be fine with him… 

_Here's to the Montagues_   
_John Wayne and Betty Davis_   
_And Romeo, he waved before_   
_A chorus girl in Vegas, hey ha ha___

_Juliet is up in Heaven_   
_A pocket full of pills_   
_And Jesus drives to Mexico_   
_To get her prescription filled_

His sweet Juliet, that's what he saw in Brianna – the tragic girl would end in ways she couldn't comprehend, and people would mourn her. Mourn her beauty, her smile, the smile that seemed to open the very gates of heaven…   
He'd bring her down into his hell. 

_I had a dream last night_   
_Because she looked just like a dream___

_She was on fire last night_   
_And I was breathing gasoline_   
_I had a dream last night_   
_And it fit me like a glove_

There she was, curling back up under those perfect green sheets, curls fanning over her pillow, that smile drifting over her lips as eyelashes fluttered and dreams lulled her into false safety…   
So beautiful… 

_I had a dream last night…because she looked just like a dream…_   



	2. Waiting...

(Disclaimer time. YAY. Actually, I'm still just being vague, so – Brianna's mine. No five tons of lyrics, no one I don't own, because said mystery person has yet to be identified, at least in story. So, without adieu, chapter two. Have fun.) 

ii. 

"Dating disasters, part five thousand sixty-three…" 

Sighing a little, Brianna opened the door to apartment 7C, already regretting the two hours she'd spent getting ready for the night, the blind date Sierra had set her up on…   
_He's great, Bri. Totally Hollywood, just your type._

Nothing could be further from the truth, honestly. Yes, Brianna had come out here looking for the glitz and glamour that came with Hollywood and the actress/waitress someday superstar cliché, and in her mind, somewhere, she'd decided that she'd find Prince Charming somewhere along the way…   
So far, she'd found a tiny apartment, a bartending job that gave her more headaches than tips, and…   
Prince Charming? 

"Ha, if I thought I was going to have Happily Ever After, I need to reread some things. The fairy tale doesn't exist." 

Most nights, she'd just hang out by herself, go down the street and rent a video, or spend too long in her ancient looking claw foot bathtub, reading. The girl spent more time in the bathroom than was healthy, and…   
That's where she was headed now. 

"But it's nothing a little bubble bath and a trashy novel won't fix, right?" With a soft snicker, she grabbed her half-empty bottle of strawberries and crème bubble bath, a book from her shelf of over read romances and a CD… 

-*- 

"Cos I want it aaaaaaaaaallllllllll, or nothing at aaaaaaaaaaaaaallllll…." 

Sinking into the wall of bubbles, Bri had enveloped herself in a book, something a lot like the life she wanted…   
Challenge, desire, and a man with a great set of abs. Success would be nice too, but most of the time, these novels seemed to drive on one thing, what she couldn't seem to manage on her own.   
Relationships that somehow worked. 

It seemed impossible, but someday, maybe it'd happen. 

-*- 

He'd seen her slip in – he'd been watching for days now, just learning about her, learning the tiniest little details, the quirks that made her who she was, the things that made him want to just smack her…   
There was a lot more to Brianna than he'd thought, and the more he watched, the more adorable she was. 

The way she liked to stay up late and watch cartoons at three in the morning.   
The way her voice drifted through the tiny apartment while she sang to no one in particular…   
The hours she spent on the fire escape, just…thinking. 

She liked yellow roses, wore glasses from time to time, and swore she was romance retardant. 

"Not a chance, angel…you've got the makings of a princess under there somewhere. It's too bad…" 

It was too bad she spent hours deciding what to wear, if she should leave her belly button ring in or take it out, what kind of makeup she should wear, how high the heels on her shoes should be, if she should wear glitter…   
Trivial things. 

Things that…eventually, wouldn't matter.   
"Soon…you'll get your wish. I promise you that. At a price." 


	3. A Sign.

(Warning: Amara's on a sugar high. And a review high, which is a very good thing – the fact that you guys like this stuff only makes me want to write more, cos I really think excitement's contagious. Yeah…so…run amok – WWF characters are not mine.) 

iii. 

Friday night – another party, another chance to get noticed, another…well, actually, it was probably another night for Brianna to try to glitz and glitter herself into someone's radar…   
And decide, halfway thought the night, that she didn't have a chance in this town.   
Not with the acting thing.   
Not with the dating scene… 

None of it. 

Eyeing her reflection in the mirror, she raised a brow, then raked a perfectly violet manicured hand through her ever-unruly hair, which she had attempted to straighten. So far, it looked like a little less like an afro, but more like a frizzball.   
"This is just absolutely great…now that I look like the before picture in an Infusium 23 ad…" 

With a sigh, she started across the tiny hallway separating her bathroom from her bedroom, and…   
Roses. On the bed. 

"What…the…hell…?" 

The fire escape was open from earlier today, as she'd been outside thinking a little, drawing little sketches of different things, scenes she could remember seeing in Arizona, sunsets…things that reminded her of home.   
Home, where she actually didn't have to be dramatically fake. Where she could throw on a pair of jeans and a ratty t-shirt and pull her hair into a ponytail and not have to worry about lipstick smudging or eyelash curlers pinching… 

Or stalkers, which brought her into the here and now. 

_Brianna – you'll never know._

What the hell did that mean? She'd never know? This was starting to get a little too close for comfort, saying things were being left in her apartment now. 

"At least the flowers are pretty." With a shrug, she closed the window, then just stood there a few moments, trying to hear if whoever was in the house was still there.   
And there was…nothing. 

-*- 

She'd got the flowers.   
Yes, Brianna had seemed a little – afraid by the display, and he couldn't really blame her. But it wasn't time to really put himself in her life…   
Not now. 

She wasn't the brightest girl, really. A little on the naïve, genuine side, at least when she was on the phone…   
With her parents, he supposed, because she kept saying that she was fine here, that she wasn't in any imminent danger, and people in LA were a little frightening, but she was managing… 

Other than that, though, she spent a lot of time by herself. Quiet…   
She didn't think she belonged, and at times, he believed her.   
She didn't understand the ways of the world, didn't seem to pick up on the fact that she could get hurt. 

She'd find that out soon enough, though. 


	4. Outcasted

(If you haven't figured out who "mystery stalker person" is, well – next chapter, I promise! *L*) 

iv. 

_Glitter? Check._   
_High heels? Check._   
_That knock-em-dead smile? Well…_

That was probably the only thing lacking tonight, as Brianna had been hiding in a corner most of the night, watching the action of the party from afar, just because someone had said she was "a quaint little girl, but a tad overweight…"   
Her ego was fragile at times, especially when it came to her appearance, because…   
In the acting world, that was all that mattered. 

And in the corner, she'd been slowly drinking herself into a mild haze, dark eyes drinking in the crowd, all the perfect people in their perfect outfits…   
Plastic.   
Fake.   
…disgusting, to a point. 

She'd taken one of the roses from her bed and tucked it behind her ear, thinking that with her black flamenco-like dress, she'd be the center of attention.   
Just once…she'd like to be there. 

Unfortunately, she wasn't, and the girl, in all her high shine glory, she'd been stuffed in the corner, away from all the excitement. 

-*- 

_All that she deserved…_

He wasn't really too thrilled about being here, amiss all the bustle of chatter and gossip, but she'd gone there alone, and he was certain that if she left looking like she did…   
Depressed, almost.   
As if she knew no matter how much effort she expended, she wasn't going to be noticed by anyone. 

She was wrong, though. He'd noticed. 

The poor girl was drinking herself into a stupor, and she wasn't going to be able to do much – she might not even be able to make it home by herself…   
Such a pity… 

She wobbled on those heels already.   



	5. Chance.

(Okay, so I lied. I haven't blatantly told you yet, but I've made hints the size of a small island nation, but…if you don't get it now, I promise next chapter. Really!) 

v. 

"I'm gonna be fine, really. I can make it out of here…"   
There were plenty of people who seemed concerned about the small girl's ability to handle herself, especially since Brianna had been drinking in the corner all night, martini after martini… 

_The saddest girl ever to hold a martini…_

It was a line from a movie she'd seen, Vanilla Sky maybe? It seemed to be the perfect phrase to describe her, and as she stumbled over the floor, a cloud of dusky midnight depression hanging over her.   
She'd never fit in here. She wasn't…   
Good enough. 

"Fine…I'll…I'm fine." 

More people watching her, staring at her, making blood rush to her cheeks; tears prickled in her eyes, and she lowered her head a little more, wanting to make a mad dash for the door, for her apartment…   
For her fuzzy cotton sheets and stuffed animals.   
Her drawings of the Arizona desert skyline. 

For a warmth she'd been missing for a while. 

Of course, she really hadn't been watching where she was going, and before she even realized it, arms had snatched her up as she'd stumbled, and…   
"Oh gods, I'm sorry…"   
Chocolate eyes glanced up, and…darkness.   
Sunglasses. 

"Had a little too much there, Miss? You seem to need some help…" 

-*- 

She was more delicate than he thought she would be, fragile in his arms. It was amusing, because while she was in front of the mirror, he knew she tried to be a badass, a prom queen…   
Everything she wasn't.   
Everything the world tried to be, but…she didn't have to. 

_She'll never know._

"I'm fine." As small as she was, the girl still seemed to be as feisty as she let on, and she only let him hold her up after her knees buckled from under her the third time.   
There's something to be said about the sexiness of determination, even if he thought she was a little on the ditzy side.   
"You got a name, pretty?" His voice wasn't threatening or sleazy, but there lacked the interest most people would have. You don't really care what your prey's named, as long as it knows what's going to happen.   
And she didn't know. Yet. 

"Brianna…" She looked up at him, tiny fingers brushing at the sunglasses, a perplexed look on her face. "What about you, Mr. Incognito?" 

_Oh, yeah. Normal people don't wear sunglasses at night._

"I'll tell you when we get out of here, how's that? A girl in your condition shouldn't be alone – too many bad people in this world…"   
Himself included at times. 

_She'll never know._


	6. Sunset.

(Guess what? I still own no one. Except Brianna. Wah. *cry*) 

vi. 

"This is LA…I'm aware of the fact that there's bad people. Most of them are called agents." Snickering a little, Brianna swayed back and forth a little, still trying her best to keep her balance and not look like a drunken slob.   
After all, she couldn't let someone see her as weak and naïve. 

It was a bit of a struggle to the door, as alcohol seemed to have taken hold of her feet, causing them to stumble, run a little ahead of the rest of her tiny frame –   
Control was hard to have when deep down, you were almost awash in misery. 

And because of this, she didn't even notice that the stranger didn't need directions to her apartment, didn't even question the fact that he knew she kept her keys in the inside pocket of her coat…   
That he'd called the kitten she'd just bought a couple days ago by it's name… 

Oblivious. 

"Where's m'kitty? I just want to hug the cat and go to sleep…" 

"Don't worry, Brianna, I'll get Skylar for you – you just lay down, okay? Don't worry about anything…"   
He was awfully nice to her. Even if he was a bit strange with the sunglasses and the fact that he knew everything, and…   
But she was tired… 

-*- 

Such an angel, she was – lying on that bed, quiet as could be, still in her clothes from the party –   
She smelled of booze and cigarettes, and her furball of a kitten.   
So angelic… 

_I could spare this one…I really could…_

The thought crossed his mind, and he shook his head. She was fragile, yes. Tiny and serene, lying there in slumber, not suspecting in the least…   
The rest of the world was a faerie tale to her, and she was patiently waiting for her faerie godmother to swoop down and rescue her from the twinkling lights of the smoggy city… 

Fingers drifted over her cheek, tugging back only slightly when she smiled in dreams, lashes fluttering just slightly, as if she might wake…   
No.__

_Such an angel…_

Her lashes fluttered once more, and slowly, dark eyes opened, peering up at him, surprised that he'd not gone yet…   
What had she done, trusting him? 

"You've yet to tell me who you are…" A tiny smirk from the girl, still delirious in dreams, caught up in stardust and her own majick…   
He'd felt it on her, this pull that seemed to call to him, made him choose her.   
It wasn't because he'd felt like it.   
Destiny was a bitch sometimes. 

Slowly pulling off his sunglasses, he leaned down, kissing her forehead gently as she fell back into her own sparkling haze, the suns in citrine eyes having set long ago.   
Sleep came easy for her, she was young… 

She didn't know the horrific things that could be. She was so innocent. 

"Child, my name is Edge, and you shall see me again, even if you won't know it…" 

With that, he disappeared into the night. 


	7. Dreams...?

vii. 

_Was he still there?_

Brianna sat up in bed, eyes squinting a little at the sunlight pouring in, then sighing as she realized that no, he wasn't still there, and…   
It was probably some sort of dream. Or maybe she had been entirely too drunk last night and hallucinated the whole thing – 

If that was true, though, why was she still in her clothes from the night before? It was proof she'd actually gone to the party, and she was slowly starting to remember the fact that she'd thrown her shoes across the room, almost hitting the guy in the chest… 

_Edge…_

That's what his name was, she'd caught it somewhere between sleep and dreams, or maybe that was yet another delusion, something her mind had thrown in to keep her feeling somewhat safe –   
_If you know his name, he can't hurt you._

With a bit of a smile, she eased back, just taking things in. It had happened, and even though she wasn't sure how or why or even if this was a sensible thing to even think about…   
It had still happened. 

"The good guys still to exist…" 

-*- 

He'd hated to leave, in those wee hours of the morning, after watching her there, still, barely breathing – she looked even more fragile at night, with the moon illuminating ghostly features, those dark eyes of hers closed, lashes fluttering like obsidian butterflies… 

Fragile.   
_Snow White, sleeping in her glass casket.___

It was a morbid thought, yes, but it was one that he couldn't help smile about. She would make the perfect Snow White, with that dark hair and those perfect doe eyes…   
Innocent.   
Angelic. 

Even when he knew he should have left, right before sunrise – he'd stayed a few seconds longer, which was nice – until he'd realized how late it was. That'd not been fun, getting back. 

But now…he was imagining her, those dark eyes, the morning dew settling on her skin…   
Well, in the real world, her kitten was probably pawing at her hair or something, but…she was too easy to throw into realms that could never exist… 

Far too easy indeed… 


	8. Aware.

viii. 

She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Just _couldn't_. Since the night of the party, Brianna had felt like every waking moment of hers had been somehow exploited, peered into without her consent… 

Most times, she just shrugged it off.   
Tonight, however, she didn't know if she could. 

After being dragged to a string of parties by Jenn and Elizabeth, a couple of girls she'd met at a recent audition, Brianna kept watching the corners, the darkest parts of the room, the places, for some odd reason, that he might show up.   
She didn't have any idea why those were the places she thought of, but…   
She watched. 

Or at least she'd watched until Jenn had decided that it was karaoke time, and Brianna needed to get up there by herself and attract some attention. _ You're too damn talented to just wilt away in that corner_, she'd said. That was true, to a point.   
She didn't want to wilt away. 

She just…didn't want to get up on stage right then. 

-*- 

Exquisite.   
Startlingly…aware, though. She knew that he'd been there, and slowly, she was starting to become paranoid. Glancing this way and that as if she'd be able to catch him in the act… 

The poor girl's mind was fragile, and he feared she might be the cause of her own snap.   
It wasn't healthy for a girl to fixate on the fact that she might not be alone; though, maybe, just maybe…she was hoping.   
Yes, hoping for something to happen, anticipating the next move in this game, the next tangled step in this… 

It'd happen soon enough. After he was finished…admiring. 

Yes, perhaps he'd decided to come a bit closer to this flame, this surreal child of magick and beauty –   
Such a frail flower, but…he'd break her yet.   
He'd simply…not decided when. 

_Soon enough._

-*- 

He'd followed her and her squealing friends from one dimly lit bar to the next, perplexed that someone such as she would even associate with such imbeciles, girls who cared nothing about nothing more than how much they could get from someone, how quickly they could burn out one boy and move onto the next…   
Her friends…were more savage than he, it seemed. 

But as the kinky-haired blonde (her friend Elizabeth, whom he'd realized was more obnoxious than should be possible) shoved Brianna onto the makeshift stage at this latest club venture, flames leapt in long-dull, long-dead eyes. 

She was hesitant about it, he could tell. Fingers toyed in her dark curls, and the amber sunsets of her eyes burned into the floor, whispered protests tossed on her friends supposedly playful ears. 

Brianna…was backed into a corner.   
And he'd never been more entranced with her. 


	9. Confrontation.

ix. 

Out of the corner of her eye, there he was. Mixed emotions tossed around her mind, and she shook her head, trying to clear things, trying to make sure that she wasn't completely losing it…   
Blink.   
Breathe.   
Still there. 

Why was he doing this? Following her every move, watching her with those eyes, keeping her in his sights even if she didn't realize he was there. He was _always_ there; she'd come to that realization. Every time she thought someone was watching her, it was because _he was_.   
What was the meaning of this…? 

She intended to find out.   
That was, after she was finished with this forced appearance on the karaoke stage. 

-*- 

She looked like a deer in the headlights, those dark eyes wide and frightened, fingers shaking as she took the microphone…   
She'd noticed he was there. 

Noticed. Knew. 

And maybe that's what had brought her to the point where she couldn't deal with anything else. He was obsessed with her, yes, but possibly…   
Her obsession for answers was more. She wanted, needed an explanation.   
He wasn't sure he could give her that. 

But here she came, off the stage – had he missed something? Or had she just walked off, not wanting to deal with the idiocy of her so-called 'friends?'   
He wasn't sure. 

But here she came, dark hair flowing around her, eyes slightly fearful, but questioning…   
"What are you doing here?" 

"Last time I checked, it was a free country and…"   
"You…you're…stalking me." She was shaking now, those doe eyes of hers filling with angry, confused tears. She didn't like this one bit, he knew, but the fact that she'd figured that out…   
"I wouldn't say stalking, Princess…" 

"What the hell?" Brianna's confusion grew a little more, and somewhere, he knew that if he didn't get her out of there, her friends would come looking – or maybe not.   
Those two seemed to be having a quite giggly conversation with a local meathead. 

"Sweet, sweet Brianna…we need to have a talk…"   
_So this is where she ends_. It was almost tragic to him, but he'd known she'd have to go sometime.   
It was just…sooner than he'd actually like. 


	10. Magick.

(Chapter ten. Woot. Anyway, nothing's mine 'cept Brianna, and if this chapter sounds like I'm on drugs, I am. Antibiotics -- as soon as I get this sinus infection cleared, I'll write more. I promise. And people -- if you have ideas where this should go, let me know, cos I'm a very spur-of-the-moment, no planning writer. *snugs*) 

x. 

"Can't we just talk here? I mean, you're weird, you're creepy…"   
She wasn't going to go down without a fight, that was for sure. For some reason, her gut instinct was now telling her not to go anywhere with him, not to even be here, even though her anger and confusion had clearly thrown that advice out the window. 

"Weird? Creepy? That's…"   
He was amused by this one, honestly. She had this fire in her soul that told her to fight things when she was backed into a corner, when her own naivety had betrayed her and pitted her into her own trap…   
"Interesting. No one's ever called me that before."   
And actually survived.   
"But no, we can't go anywhere…" 

"Then fine, we're not talking." Brianna sighed, then started for the door, tossing her hair over her shoulder, not caring about her friends, or apparently, her own safety.   
He could follow her. 

-*- 

That's what he did, actually. 

She wasn't going to go far with him following her, that was for sure, and the tiny girl could be easily overpowered. He honestly wondered, at times, if she knew how stupid she could be, how the world around her could easily just blot her out of existence… 

"Brianna…"   
"Go away, Edge. I don't want to talk to you." 

Her back was to him, and it only took a couple seconds for him to take advantage of this. Slipping in front of her, he grabbed her by the arms, those pale, slender arms of hers…   
Shaking her.   
"I could kill you right now. I really could." 

She looked up at him, those dark eyes now wild, her mind trying to find a way to escape this, a way to make it out of this alive…   
And that's when it happened. 

A flash of blue, coming from nowhere and everywhere, and she stumbled backwards, out of his grasp.   
It hurt…   
But…   
"I don't think I would." 

There was magick in Brianna's veins.   
It had pulled him there; it would keep him there.   
And it…might just keep her alive.   



	11. Don't.

xi. 

"What the fuck was that?" He stepped back, eyes wide, half in shock.   
She shouldn't have been able to do that. SHOULDN'T have.   
There was more to her than it seemed, and he was starting to realize that, even though it had a price to it – 

Whatever she had done hurt. 

Of course, whatever she had done – she wasn't quite sure of. The poor girl was shaking…   
But he wasn't going to show her any mercy now, could he?   
Even if those impossibly bright eyes were staring up at him, pleading for answers he didn't have… 

Suddenly, the tables had been turned on him, and he realized that he was trapped in a deadly game – much more so than he'd anticipated.   
She had something… 

And if he didn't find out what it was…   
It might be the death of him. 

-*- 

"I…don't know." She shook a little more than she wanted to, because in reality, she didn't want him to know that this scared her. It terrified the living daylights out of her.   
She'd done something…   
She wasn't supposed to. 

True, when she was younger, things happened that she couldn't quite explain, but Brianna had just shrugged it off, figuring there was a logical explanation somewhere, and she just didn't understand what was going on at the time…   
Of course, that was when she was younger.   
It wasn't supposed to happen now. 

He took a step closer to her, and she paled, near tears.   
"Just…don't hurt me."   
A soft sigh escaped, and thought she knew…   
"Or…do it quickly." 

-*- 

"Brianna…" She was confused. He could see that, obviously.   
She didn't even know what she'd done, and…   
The poor girl. 

"After that, I don't think I could…" His voice was quieter, as if there was a bit of fear, a bit of awe.   
She had something… 

"Just…" Her eyes still looked at him, accusing. "Don't…" 

"I won't hurt you…Bri, understand that…" 


	12. Stalling.

xii. 

"Five seconds ago, you were saying you'd rip me to shreds, and…"   
Of course she was confused – one minute, he was glaring, saying he was going to kill her, tear her into pieces, make her another statistic, another murdered actress wannabe in Los Angeles.   
Nothing new. 

But now he was saying that he couldn't, wouldn't hurt her? 

"…now you expect me to trust you? I'm sorry, but…" 

There was no possible way that she could trust him now – she was always going to be on her guard, and maybe – she'd have to move.   
He'd found a way to get into her apartment, so she wasn't safe there, and…   
If she wasn't safe there, she couldn't be safe in this town at all. 

She'd have to give her dream for her life. 

_"YOU'RE_ sorry? YOU'RE sorry?! What the hell…? You think that this is easy enough, that I could just come in and gut you…"   
"Why don't you?" Those dark eyes were cold then, Brianna closed off to the world, trying to keep herself together, even though… 

She could be looking death in the face. 

"Why don't I?" He couldn't help but scoff, shaking his head. "The reason I don't is because…"   
You like to play with your prey before you go in for the kill.   
That was the real answer, but…   
Maybe he was a little bothered by the fact that she could wield a power he'd not known about… 

Yeah, like he'd tell her that. 

"Well, truthfully, Brianna…" He stepped closer again, backing the girl into the wall that was behind her, and almost felt guilty as she gasped, almost whimpering in protest…   
He never gave her the chance. 

-*- 

It was surprisingly warm, alarmingly gentle…   
But still, there was this primal aspect that frightened her, made her want to back away… 

There wasn't anywhere to go, though. He had her cornered, so to speak.   
Trapped.   
Caught in the net…of a kiss. 

-*- 

He'd thought – then, maybe…he'd do it. While he had her in his trap, helpless…   
But somewhere, he'd decided – it was almost nice. Even if it was a game. Even if…eventually…he'd have to do something… 

It was just so nice to have warmth pressed against him. 

She was younger than anything he'd ever seen, but in ways, wise beyond her years…   
Beautiful in her naïve ways, her voice, those eyes that pulled him into this mess…   
She'd brought him here. It was HER fault. 

He couldn't bring himself to kill her now.   
Not now. 

He needed answers. 


	13. What she's done...?

(Author note! Whee. I was playing around on Photoshop, and I did this picture of Stardust's heroine, Brianna. Tah-dah. That's my artistic merit for the day. *L* http://rmdevore.homestead.com/files/misc/brianna.jpg ) 

xiii. 

Bright eyes stared up at him after a few moments, not sure how to take things, what to say now – he'd done something she'd not seen coming, and…   
Though part of her was waiting for the other shoe to fall, so to speak, Brianna bit her lip, still silent. 

He's not sure why he's letting her live moments longer, after what she'd done, the flash of light that had scorched like the sun, the one wild moment of majick that threw him into a near-frenzy – the one wild moment that had brought him to this.   
She'd drawn her own lines of battle now, even if she didn't realize it. 

The lines had been drawn, and there was no way out now. 

"Princess…"   
"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Crossing her arms, Brianna backed away from him once more, confusion on her face, but a little bit of that hidden fury as well – she wasn't as sweet and innocent as she let on…   
Or maybe she was. 

-*- 

"You have to understand something…" 

"What do I have to understand? You were going to rip my head off and leave me dead in an alleyway, then suddenly, you feel the need to play tonsil hockey? I don't get it. I just…"   
Was there any way to really explain it? She had been certain of her death only what seemed a few short moments ago, and now… 

It seemed the both of them were confused about something, and… 

-*- 

He was growing more and more impatient with her, it was obvious. She kept talking in circles, saying she didn't understand how she was capable of doing anything, and everytime it came back to what had happened…   
She was exceedingly vague. 

There was an explanation, and she knew it – damn it. She wasn't supposed to be playing these games with him, wasn't supposed to…   
She was supposed to die easily. Not lead him on these journeys where his soul… 

Wasn't supposed to go.   
It wasn't supposed to be there. 

And now – he was…   
_Kill her. Now. Before she realizes what she's done._   



	14. Breakdown.

xiv. 

Brianna. 

The name brought a thousand pictures to mind, a thousand shattered images to beat upon his conscience.   
The rare flower asleep, jade eyes closed, those long lashes fluttering on her pale face, lips slightly parted – looking every bit the faerie tale princess.   
The girl he'd seen in the alleyway, almost possessed by fury, screaming, wanting out of his grasp… 

The way she'd looked after he'd kissed her, eyes impossibly wide, surprised. Almost fearful… 

That was something he was starting to regret. He'd scared the girl something terrible, and then he'd let her run off, run to her apartment, where he knew…   
He knew she'd probably take a shower and curl up in bed with Skylar, watch Conan, and then drift off to sleep, a can of Mountain Dew by her bed… 

Why couldn't he get her out of his mind?   
Why couldn't he just…do what he'd planned?   
Just kill her. Snap that precious little neck of hers in two. 

He couldn't. He simply couldn't do it, and he couldn't understand why. 

"Brianna – my sweet angel…can you ever forgive a blackened soul…"   
She'd already swooped down and saved him, the unlikely goddess, the doomed saviour…   
His voice was barely a whisper, and after a few moments, his eyes slipped closed, confusion lurking in haunted dreams. 

-*- 

Hours later, the blur stopped again. Another night. Another time to do the unthinkable, to live another night without really living…   
He hadn't lived. 

Never. 

Down the street, eyes blank to the world. He was eerily quiet tonight, not thinking about anything else. Nothing but her.   
Nothing but her magick. 

The song her glittering soul had lured him into. 

Slowly, he realized something – blurry…red…   
Tears. 


	15. Torn.

(Chapter fifteen. Songfic time. Obviously, the song's not mine – 's _Somewhere In Between_, off Lifehouse's _No Name Face _CD. Sad chapter, more angst – but it should pick up again soonish, as in chapter sixteen.) 

xv. 

She lay there, completely silent, not quite sure about anything anymore – all she knew was that tiny room, the peeling blue wallpaper, the somewhat lopsided bed she'd had since she was eleven years old…   
Skylar, curled up in her lap… 

A glance to the clock…   
Twenty-seven minutes after three. 

_I can't be losing sleep over this, no, I can't_   
_And now I cannot stop pacing_   
_Give me a few hours I'll have this all sorted out_   
_If my mind would just stop racing_

Brianna had had the same song on repeat for the past four hours, and she was almost moved to tears because of the fact –   
It was true. Strangely…   
Every thought raced back to him, every fiber of her being, every bit of her soul wanted to be there, even if it could mean that she wouldn't wake to see the morning –   
He was frightening at times, and violent… 

That didn't stop her from feeling. 

_Cause I cannot stand still_   
_I can't be this unsturdy_   
_This cannot be happening_

No. She couldn't fall for such a monster – because somewhere in her, she knew. She knew that he was something different, something…not right.   
Somewhere, something about him – in the shadows…the stuff of nightmares. 

_This is over my head_   
_But underneath my feet_   
_Cause by tomorrow morning_   
_I'll have this thing beat___

_And everything will be back_   
_To the way that it was_   
_I wish that it was just that easy_

It'll be better tomorrow, she kept telling herself. Sooner or later, she'd wake up and this would all be some sort of twisted nightmare, and she'd never have to deal with any of this again, and she would have never heard or seen the boy…   
Ever. 

_Cause I'm waiting for tonight_   
_Then waiting for tomorrow_   
_And I'm somewhere in between_   
  
She wanted him right there, though. Right that very second, she wanted to feel…whatever it had been.   
There'd been some sort of…   
Chemistry.   
Something…even if he was somewhat frightening, she couldn't deny… 

_What is real and just a dream_

"Where are you, you bastard…"   
She looked down at Skylar, then closed her eyes, sighing at the world…   
The situation she'd got herself into…   
"You beautiful…terrible…bastard…"__

_Would you catch me if I fall_   
_Out of what I fell in_   
_Don't be surprised if I collapse_   
_Down at your feet again_   
_I don't want to run away from this_   
_I know that I just don't need this_

She drifted into dreams again, tears slipping down porcelain cheeks.   
She didn't need this…   
But oddly…somehow…she did.   



	16. Threats and penance.

(Whee. More angst, like I would write anything else. Hee. For a girl who seems so happy in these disclaimers – well, I'm screwy. Anyway, fun stuff, as this should…complicate things quite a bit. I still just own Brianna.) 

xvi. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing, letting that girl tug you around like you're some sort of plaything? You need to do something about that…" 

"I…can't…" 

Sputtering blood, he looked up again, only to have his face met with a near-blinding blow. Oh, how the others were not pleased. They were much less than pleased…   
First he'd gone off without saying a word…   
Then he'd decided on his own to torment a girl…   
And then this had to happen. 

"You _can_, and you _will_…"   
"I WON'T." 

"Well, if you don't…" 

-*- 

"…we'll just have to tear your precious Brianna to pieces, won't we?" 

The threat was still cemented in his mind, unmoving, creating ghastly images which forced themselves upon him with every breath…   
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her…   
Throat slashed to ribbons.   
Insides strung like party streamers…   
Dark hair falling over somehow immaculately pale, flawless shoulders…   
And her eyes…   
Wide open, amber orbs staring, fear-stricken, into the ceiling. 

He wouldn't let it happen. Couldn't.   
Even…if she hated him, he couldn't let his angel pay his penance. 

He'd just have to get to her before they did. Make her listen… 

The parking lot – her dark blue Suburban was there, hulking in the blackness. He'd often snickered about the fact that she'd drive such a monstrosity, as she was so tiny…   
Who knew? At this point, who really cared? 

-*- 

Five floors.   
Six… 

Seven.   
The elevator was broken again, and he thought that with every step he took, something else was happening, something horrible…   
If anything happened… 

He'd never forgive himself. 

Down the hall…   
Where was her door? 

…open. It was open. 


	17. Tortured Mess.

xvii. 

"Oh god…Brianna…" 

He was surprised his voice even made it out as he rushed through the door, eyes wild, looking for her, anything – expecting…   
The worst. 

Where was she, anyway? He'd thought they'd make it obvious, put her in the first place his eyes would fall, the moment he walked in…   
He should have seen her. 

"Brianna! Bri…" 

That's when he saw it – faint on the dark carpet, but still unmistakable.   
It…couldn't be anything else.   
It smelled like her.   
Blood. 

There was the tiniest, faintest trail there, leading near the hallway, and suddenly stopping.   
Too sudden.   
And even though he didn't want to admit it, he wasn't sure what had happened to her, even if…logic pointed…to death. 

It was then…   
He wept. 

-*- 

Moving – hurt.   
Breathing. Blinking. It felt like someone stabbed her every time she moved, and there was part of her that wanted to let go.   
She wanted…to die. 

But there was someone in her apartment, she could hear something – footsteps, feel another person coming closer, but stopping…   
From where she'd been thrown in her closet, she couldn't see who it was, but it scared her nonetheless. 

What if…they knew?   
What if those monsters came back and decided to finish the job…?   
At least it'd take away the searing pain… 

"Bri…" 

Edge.   
They'd said something about him when they'd come, said he was a traitor, and that killing her would bring him back to the way he'd been before, a savage monster –   
Like them. 

He'd tried to protect her, said that he wouldn't let anything happen…   
_Wouldn't he die to see her like this? The poor girl's bleeding…he'd take her in a second, kill her in seconds flat…_   
_Why do you think we're leaving blood everywhere, little darling? Stirring up an app_etite… 

A whimper escaped trembling, bleeding lips, and Brianna tried to push herself against the door, tried to open it –   
If she could get out, one of two things could happen. 

She could live…   
Or this would be the end.   



	18. Bloodied Flower.

xviii. 

Sound. In the eerie silence, it was overbearing, the silence shattered by the tiniest moment, the frailest whisper…   
There was still life in the room.   
The slow thud…thud…thud…. 

It grew fainter by the second, and he knew that it had to be her…   
Had to be.   
Every breath, every heartbeat…   
Where was she? 

"Brianna…" 

Pulling himself up, he glanced around the ravaged apartment, the stained carpet, the broken pictures, the tipped over couch…   
And there is was again. The tiniest whimper, baby fine…   
But unmistakably hers. 

-*- 

Blood scent had lead him there – her bedroom.   
Yes, he'd seen it before, but – it'd been destroyed. Things slashed to ribbons, more blood –   
And…the closet. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen the door move just a touch, a flicker of calico paw sticking out from underneath the door.   
Quiet sobbing…   
Please, God, if I'm going to die…let it be soon… 

His angel. Brianna. 

Slowly moving to the door, he couldn't help but brace himself for what he might see, the pain they might have put her in for her to plead…to die.   
They'd…spared her.   
Or thought she would die shortly anyway. 

The tiniest creak open…   
And there she was. Broken. Bruised. Bloody. Fragile shaking fingers clutching Skylar, her precious kitten…   
Both of them were covered in blood, and he had to brace himself so he wouldn't attack… 

They knew this would tempt him.   
He'd…no. He couldn't do this – couldn't. 

"You're alive…" It was more in awe than anything, as he knew that they could have killed her – in his mind, he didn't see why she'd been spared, or…   
Or had she?   
"They didn't…do…" 

If she had been cursed to this existence, the same as he…   
Tears sprung at the very thought. 

"No…" Shaking her head, Brianna only slightly whimpered in protest as he lifted her into his arms.   
She knew, though. Now.   
What he was. What he'd been hiding from her – they'd made all of that crystal clear.   
And…he was worried. 

"They didn't turn me…into…a monster." 


	19. Tension.

(See me be an overachiever. Two chapters in one day – but that's just how I operate. Anyway, this chapter's for Mystic, cos…well, there are allusions. And while I'm writing this, I might as well reiterate the fact that I only own Brianna – sue me, and…I'll hit you with a frying pan!) 

xix. 

A monster. 

Those words were the sword in his heart, the sting that wouldn't go away…   
She'd said he was a monster. 

Of course, he knew that she wasn't talking about _him_, but his kind in general. There were lots of names for them, and most of them weren't anything nice. And honestly, he supposed, it hadn't bothered him until she had said it –   
Or maybe it's the way she'd said it. 

Soft. Almost – condescending.   
Like she was telling him it was okay, even if he could tell it scared her… 

"What…I've ruined everything for you…" He had, that was true. In the beginnings of his game, he'd intended to do that, intended to bring all her dreams to a screeching halt and…   
Do…what they'd done to her.   
He'd intended to do that.   
"I…almost…killed you." 

"No…" She shook her head, albeit slowly, trying to keep the pain from becoming searing, stabbing – it felt like that, still…and…   
It was his fault. 

"But…Bri…"   
"No. This isn't your fault…you didn't come in here and do this…" 

"I ALMOST DID!" He didn't know how she could do this, be still so gentle, so naïve, even when she'd nearly been killed. He didn't know how she could lie there on her bed, staring up at him, and…   
Trust him.   
Believe him. 

"You didn't." He'd been yelling, yes, but her voice only came out in a tiny whisper, and she wasn't sure if he'd hear her at all over his own rage, his own guilt.   
"You came here looking for me, didn't you? You were going to try to stop them…" 

"Maybe…" 

He didn't know what he'd do, really. Maybe he'd try to keep Brianna from getting hurt, or maybe he would have just let her die – it'd certainly make things easier for him. All this confusion.   
The way he felt about her… 

"You're here now." Reaching up, Brianna let her fingers slowly trace his cheek, eyes watching his carefully.   
"And…you haven't hurt me…" 

"I…haven't…"   
There was that tension again, the nearly frightening feeling that came when he was too close to her, like he was going to do something completely stupid, and…   
It was an odd feeling, like he had…when he'd once had a pulse. 

"Bri…" He knew it was going to happen, knew what it felt like…   
He knew, but he wanted it anyway.   
Even if in his mind, it would be doomed, fated not to work. 

"Hrm…?"   
Innocent.   
Naïve. 

…everything he shouldn't have. All he should have wanted to destroy.   
He shouldn't…burn for her. 

"I shouldn't…"   
It was then he leaned in, lips brushing hers just slightly, her breath warm against his face…   
Gentle…   
He'd never felt that. Never felt… 

He shouldn't feel. He shouldn't give in to her. Shouldn't. 

He gave in.   



	20. Twilight.

xx. 

It hadn't happened? Had it? 

Dark eyes opening slowly, Brianna glanced around the room, seeing the destruction, the ravaged fact staring her in the face –   
The fact that when she moved the wrong way, it still stung a little… 

None of her injuries had been brutal, and she knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, that she was lucky. She was supposed to be dying right now, in the hazy violet of the city lights, in the chaos of broken lamps, picture frames…   
There was some sort of serenity there. 

That's when she felt it. 

Slowly, almost methodically – a brush over her stomach, careful to avoid the scratches, bruises there…   
Gentle.   
Tender. 

"Hey Princess…" 

His voice was quiet, almost unnaturally so, and she couldn't help but smile a little.   
He was there. 

-*- 

"Thought I'd seduce you and then disappear off into the night, didn't you?" He couldn't help but smirk a little, imagining that the poor girl was probably still in a little bit of shock from the whole – situation. 

He'd have to be careful, now. Have to be more alert – if he was to keep her safe.   
They'd warned her what they were capable of…   
If…they came again, he was sure she wouldn't survive. 

"Maybe I was…" There was a bit of disbelief in those dark eyes, and he brushed the hair out of her face, just…watching.   
Trying to take all her worries away for a while.   
Trying to make the bad stuff…go away. 

Even if he was responsible for most of the 'bad stuff' in the first place.   
And even if…he should leave soon.   
He didn't know…but somewhere, in the back of his mind, he imagined it was closer to dawn than was good. 

"I…"   
"You need to go, don't you?" He could sense the feeling of defeat in her voice, the soft sigh there – the knowledge in the back of her mind of what this would be…   
The only way…   
And even that brought slow stormclouds to hang above it. 

Now…however…in the glow of the Los Angeles skyline…   
He had to leave. 

"Yeah. I…"   
He'd meant to say more, but she had already once again surrendered to dreams, an angel…   
His angel, rapt in stars. 


	21. A Mistake.

(Notes and such – whee, I'm back from Boston, and I'm pretty much jammed with happy vibes. Saw m'boyfriend, so…I'm on a high, and I hope that shows creatively. I hope. Just Brianna's mine, as usual.) 

xxi. 

Up. Down. Up. Down. 

He'd been watching her for hours now, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the way her dark hair fell haphazardly over her forehead, lazy tendrils curling over her cheeks, dark lashes playing over lightly tanned skin… 

He'd been thinking again. Thinking…   
About taking her with him. Making her…   
Eternal. 

He couldn't, though. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting her, couldn't take the responsibility for crushing such a rare flower, draining the life out of her…   
Only to force this upon her…   
This…damnation. 

But lashes fluttered, and with the tiniest glimmer of a murmur, she was sitting up, the precious porcelain doll awash in blankets, sleep still clinging to amber sunset features. 

"A…is someone there?" 

-*- 

"The mistress of perception, always at work…" With a snicker, he moved a few steps out of the shadows, as not to bring worry, fear to her…   
Always thinking about his princess first… 

She reminded him of one of those – a princess he'd seen long ago, a girl so very far out of his reach, but always in his fantasies…   
When he'd had a pulse…when mortal desires had mattered to him…when…   
When he… 

Too long ago. 

It's only after a few moments he moves again, inhumanly quick –   
The kiss was electric, and he felt as if they were going to burn in ecstasy, because there'd been no feeling like this. Never had something been so all-consuming, so…   
Perfect. 

It was the only thing he knew about Brianna…   
She was perfect. 

"We can't stay here…I can't…" It was a whisper, the words he dreaded. His angel could, was…was going to fly away from him.   
Abandon. 

He'd seen this coming, knew…   
Told himself it wasn't right, wasn't safe…wasn't possible.   
But selfishness – had told him she would stay. Desire… 

-*- 

He'd blocked it out, and was trying to now.   
He'd make her all the more real to him, fill his senses, every dying nerve, every bit of him that screamed to keep her close…   
Mouth pressed over hers, so hard he was sure it was hurting her… 

He didn't care. Brianna…was his. 

Under her chin, lingering there as she writhed under him, her arms snaking their way over his shoulders, around his neck… 

And slowly…the kiss moved lower. 

-*- 

It was a hazy euphoria then, feeling everything and nothing at once. Being somewhere else, but knowing full well that he was in Brianna's apartment, and that she was lying under him, her voice nothing more than a soft purr in his ear… 

Warm… 

He…no. NO. NO! 

Pulling back, he could still taste her blood on his lips, and when his eyes locked on hers, he could see the hazy confusion in citrine orbs.   
He'd bit her. 

No…   
"I've…I'm so...oh, Brianna…princess…I…" 

He didn't care, he needed out of there. Out the door, down the stairs…into the street.   
Far away. He didn't know if he could get far enough.   
He'd hurt her.   
He'd promised…to protect her. 

It seemed she wasn't even safe in his arms. 


	22. Run.

xxii. 

Get out. 

That's what Brianna needed to do in order to survive, in order to tear herself away from the confusion, from the maze of riddles, of supernatural curse she'd affixed upon herself, simply by being…   
She'd drawn him without effort, and… 

It could mean the death of her. 

That was why she was sitting in the middle of the floor, throwing her belongings in suitcases; where she was going, that wasn't something she'd decided yet.   
Maybe…home.   
He wouldn't think to find her there, would he? He'd never think of looking in Havas, would he? She'd never said anything about her hometown to him, and even if he'd seen the name…   
He'd never think of looking there…would he? 

She hoped not.   
  
Dresses, jeans, t-shirts – all thrown hastily in the open box, as if she knew something was going to happen, as if the door was going to fling open, and he'd be standing there, thinking of nothing more than…   
Killing her. 

-*- 

He'd thought about it, thought about how easy it could be, just to go in, grab her from behind…   
Snap that precious neck of hers in half.   
She'd be dead in seconds, wouldn't feel a thing, and… 

He'd be free. 

But her voice had plagued his dreams, those eyes were there everywhere he looked, staring at him questioningly, longingly…   
He'd reach into the mists, into those hallucinations – 

His bewitching angel and her sparkling magick. 

Heavy breaths – if just for the reason he'd been thinking, and she brought heavy sighs to his lifeless lungs. It was strange, the way she could weave a spark around him, make him think…   
He felt…almost alive again. 

Eyes opened slowly, and he knew he was going there, even before – before he'd got up, before…anything.   
He'd go…to her. 

What happened after that, he couldn't be quite sure of. 


	23. Thunder.

xxiii. 

She'd listen. Of course she would – she had to. Brianna would listen to him as she always had, even if she was a little timid about things.   
Or…she would be gone.   
Or dead. 

His steps were heavy as he took the usual trail to her apartment building, the lackluster brown brick looming above him, empty windows glaring at him disapprovingly. He'd led her on, the magickal princess who lived in the proverbial tower of the seventh floor. 

He could feel her breath on his face, the hesitant drag of her fingertips over his chest…   
It's gonna be alright…I promise… 

Those silly promises of hers, quiet, but meaning the world to him. She'd promised something good, something that wouldn't end in a river of blood, wouldn't end in her dark eyes staring blankly at the skies…   
He'd hold her forever if he could, but… 

Mortality. It was something – she had. Was.   
She'd die. 

That…wouldn't stop him. Didn't stop him as he opened the door to her room, saw her belongings everywhere…   
Blood tears stung in his eyes, and he had to do all he could to keep a low growl from escaping. 

She was running away from him. 

-*- 

Were those footsteps? No, couldn't be.   
There wasn't anyone here, and she'd be leaving first thing in the morning, and… 

Those were definitely footsteps. 

Brianna couldn't move, didn't move until he'd grabbed her arms, whirling her around to face him.   
Hurting her.   
Terrifying her. 

"You were going to leave, weren't you? You can't take this, huh? Because I'm a monster, Brianna? Because I scare you to death? Because I could…" 

"LET GO OF ME!" He couldn't understand how much he was hurting her as he shook her roughly, eyes piercing into hers, darkened…black…   
Soulless.   
A killing machine.   
"Please…don't…" 

He wouldn't. He'd sworn to himself he'd never hurt her, and even though his id was screaming to tear every last bit of life out of the girl, he dropped her.   
"You…" 

"I'm afraid…I can't…hide that." She tried, desperately, to stand, to at least look him in the eye – since this had happened, since he'd run out on her the night before…   
What had happened?   
"But…I thought you loved me." 


	24. ...his caramel Aphrodite.

xxvi. 

_I thought you loved me._   
The words hit him hard, and he couldn't help but stagger back a couple steps – she thought he'd loved her…   
In all truth, he did. Had. Still did. 

"Oh…sweet…Brianna…"   
"Don't touch me." She was shaking, dark eyes wide, as if she knew he was going to attack at any second, finish what he'd intended when he'd started this dance, when he'd started to hunt this delicate prey…   
She'd pay for the spell she'd woven around him.   
Maybe.   
"Princess…" 

"Don't…" 

Conflicted. He wanted, wavered upon two things…   
Kill her and free himself from this torment she'd inflicted upon him, this Hell…   
But in the same, he wanted to try her tears, hold her until she stopped shaking…   
She was his curse, but…also his love. 

And to see her like this, shaking, afraid…terrified of him. She knew what he was capable of, knew that any moment, he could do this, hurt her…   
Dark eyes closed, Brianna waited for death to claim her. 

-*- 

In her face, he saw the hundreds of other girls…the hundreds of restless spirits who had found death by his hands, his fangs…   
She had the cheekbones, the delicate features, high cheekbones…the striking eyes.   
Nobility. 

And she looked so brave there, standing as still as she could, as if she'd already died. As if she was already his lovely…beautiful…   
Corpse. 

"Brianna…"   
He leaned in so his face was mere inches from hers, so he could feel the warmth of her breath spread over his face, so he could feel how…alive…she was.   
Alive.   
She couldn't be part of his world. 

Fingers reached out, tracing her lips, slowly…then moving down to her neck, dancing there for a few moments…   
He could…   
But…   
Could he live with himself once he'd taken his caramel Aphrodite's life…?   
Could he steal her warmth…just to keep her his? 

"Could…" Words were slow, as he was struggling to keep his thoughts together, to…   
"My princess…" 

"If you're going to kill me…please…"   
That voice – her perfect, precious voice was trembling – tears glistened at the corners of her eyes, slipping down her perfect face… 

He knew it was selfish. But…   
He had to keep her. 


	25. A bit of indescision.

(Fin! This is the last chapter – there's the possibility of a sequel, but only if you, the readers, want it. It's been a blast. The lyrics are from Lifehouse's Trying.) 

xv. 

Stepping back, he kept his gaze to hers, unwavering, wondering how she could possibly do this, how she could stare him down and not waver, how her tiny, fragile little heart could withstand this…   
How had she survived this far…? 

How had she not gone completely mad?   
How…there were so many questions that, no matter how much he tried, had, would go unanswered.   
As long as he looked down upon his petite goddess, though…   
It didn't matter. 

_could you let down your hair and be transparent for awhile_   
_just a little while_   
_to see if you're human after all_

"I couldn't lay a finger on you, angel…" It was funny, for he did see her as an angel – an incredibly strange, sometimes overwhelming one, and sometimes he imagined she'd mean the final death of him, but…   
"You…know how I feel." 

_honesty is a hard attribute to find_   
_when we all want to seem like we got it all figured out_

"Oh, I do?" Brianna was shaking again, her dark eyes tearing up, tiny wells of glass, reflecting light, casting rainbows upon porcelain cheeks…   
She couldn't cry now. 

_let me be the first to say that I don't have a clue_   
_I don't have all the answers_   
_ain't going to pretend like I do_

That's when his level of patience snapped – he'd never been one to be overly patient in the first place, but this – this was something that tortured him –   
Life. Unlife. Her. Everything.   
It was all taunting him in his mind, reminding…   
If you had one, you couldn't have the other.   
If you had her, you couldn't live.   
If you didn't have her, you'd die. 

_just trying to find my way_   
_trying to find my way, the best I know how_

"We can't stay here." That's when he'd decided. No matter what, he was going to have her.   
Tossing the clothes that were still on the floor into her open suitcase, he nudged the girl a little, smiling.   
"You've obviously….decided that here isn't the best place for you." 

"But…that…" 

"It means you've got company, darling." 

_I haven't memorized all of the cute things to say_   
_But I'm working on it_   
_Maybe I'll master this art form someday_

"C…company?" Tilting her head to the side, Brianna looked at him, not quite understanding for a moment, and then – it clicked. He…   
He was…going with her.   
Life…was never going to be the same. 

She'd never be alone.   
She'd have to be afraid, at times.   
It wouldn't be the same…   
But then again – nothing had been. 

"Where're we gonna go?"   
"Wherever you want, Brianna."   
"Are you scared?" She looked at him for a long moment, those impossibly bright, teary eyes staring up at him, unblinking…childlike… 

"A lover fears all that he believes, Brianna…and…" He snickered, "Some dead guy said that." 

_If I quote all the lines off the top of my head_   
_Would you believe_   
_That I fully understand all these things I've read_

"Some dead guy, huh? Well, what's that gonna get us…?"   
"We'll figure it out…somehow. I'm thinkin' New York." 

_well, I haven't got it all figured out quite yet_   
_ but even if it takes my whole life to get to where I need to be___

_ if I should fall to the bottom of the end I'll be one step back to you_   



End file.
